War Poems | Poemist

Popular War Poems

Boots

by Rudyard Kipling

INFANTRY COLUMNS

We're foot--slog--slog--slog--sloggin' over Africa --
Foot--foot--foot--foot--sloggin' over Africa --
(Boots--boots--boots--boots--movin' up an' down again!)
There's no discharge in the war!

Seven--six--eleven--five--nine-an'-tw enty mile to-day --
Four--eleven--seventeen--thirty-two the day before --
(Boots--boots--boots--boots--movin' up an' down again!)

......

In Spite Of War

by Angela Morgan

In spite of war, in spite of death,
In spite of all man's sufferings,
Something within me laughs and sings
And I must praise with all my breath.
In spite of war, in spite of hate
Lilacs are blooming at my gate,
Tulips are tripping down the path
In spite of war, in spite of wrath.
"Courage!" the morning-glory saith;
"Rejoice!" the daisy murmureth,

......

Strange Meeting

by Wilfred Owen

It seemed that out of the battle I escaped
Down some profound dull tunnel, long since scooped
Through granites which Titanic wars had groined.
Yet also there encumbered sleepers groaned,
Too fast in thought or death to be bestirred.
Then, as I probed them, one sprang up, and stared
With piteous recognition in fixed eyes,
Lifting distressful hands as if to bless.
And by his smile, I knew that sullen hall;
By his dead smile I knew we stood in Hell.

......

The Next War

by Wilfred Owen

War's a joke for me and you,
Wile we know such dreams are true.
- Siegfried Sassoon

Out there, we've walked quite friendly up to Death,-
Sat down and eaten with him, cool and bland,-
Pardoned his spilling mess-tins in our hand.
We've sniffed the green thick odour of his breath,-
Our eyes wept, but our courage didn't writhe.
He's spat at us with bullets and he's coughed

......

There Will Come Soft Rain

by Sara Teasdale

There will come soft rain and the smell of the ground,
And swallows circling with their shimmering sound;

And frogs in the pools singing at night,
And wild plum trees in tremulous white;

Robins will wear their feathery fire,
Whistling their whims on a low fence-wire;

And not one will know of the war, not one

......

Recent War Poems

The bridge between war and peace

by Mario Odekerken

It begins in silence,
not the peace of harmony,
but the quiet after thunder,
where smoke still curls like questions.

Bootprints in dust,
empty helmets like hollow prayers,
this is where the bridge begins.

Not built of stone or steel,

......

Lunatics

by Lokenath Roy

albeit- you have deceived me
while- the candles at the end of the hall burn on black fumes; rising
notwithstanding- the graveyard which no one shall weep for
howbeit- a leg steps forward; an empire turns the screw
inside- a mind brimming with colours
closets- filled with crockeries wrapped in black glitter
jacket collars- washed off blood stains; it begins.
timed- the bedside receiver rings
gongs- like a distant radio rambling in an empty house
signed- with the guarantee of lying lips

......

Memories of War

by Ghairo Daniels

MEMORIES OF WAR

In prison we turmoiled
packed up cards to fall
whilst they sucked
genitals like bonbons
a quartz on a table
gleamed its knowing

......

A Crossroads for Iran

by Dr. Robert Ippaso

When missiles fly
The Mullahs lie
They bide their time
To turn the tide

Their constant bluster
Now short of luster
For why we ask
No God sent task

......

Rockets over Iran versus rockets over Israel

by Mario Odekerken

Rockets over Iran,a sky cracked with fire,
cities hushed beneath sirens, prayers rising
in smoke.
Rockets over Israel,walls trembling in the dark,
children sleep in shelters,dreams pierced by fear.

Different soil,same echo,
metal falls without a name,
and the earth forgets who started it.